Active Duty Alerts

Serving our country in the military is already a dangerous undertaking. You shouldn’t have to also face a damaged credit report when you return from fighting for our freedom.

When you’re called to active duty or deployed away from your normal duty station, you can place an “Active Duty Alert” on your credit report to reduce the risk that you’ll become a victim of identity theft. This is an important service provided free of charge to active duty military personnel.

When a business sees an Active Duty Alert on your credit report, it must verify your identity before issuing credit. The law allows you to designate a personal representative (a spouse or another trusted person) who can act on your behalf to verify your identity or remove your Active Duty Alert, if needed.

Your Active Duty Alert will remain in place for one year, although you can request to have it removed sooner. When the year is up, you can place another Active Duty Alert on your credit report if your deployment is continuing. Placing an active duty alert also reduces the number of pre-approved credit card and insurance offers you receive for two years.

How to Request an Active Duty Alert

To place an active duty alert, contact at least one of the three credit bureaus listed below. Update your contact information if it changes before your alert expires.

When you contact a credit bureau be prepared to provide detailed information about yourself, including: